The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola commemorates Senna and Ratzenberger’s deaths with special initiatives.
The promoters of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will mark the 30th anniversary of the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the Imola circuit with a series of initiatives when Formula 1 returns to the track in May.
The two drivers perished in separate incidents during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Ratzenberger lost his life when his car struck a barrier in the right-hand Villeneuve corner during qualifying. The following day, Senna crashed and succumbed to his injuries in the Tamburello corner on the sixth lap of the Grand Prix. The layout has been extensively modified since then.
The Automobile Club of Italy has announced that “a number of initiatives are planned for this year’s Grand Prix to commemorate the sad anniversary of the two drivers’ deaths.” These initiatives remain under wraps for now.
F1 will return to the track where it last raced in 2022, after last year’s race was canceled due to severe flooding in the area.
“As a region, we were very keen on the return of Formula 1 to Imola, a flagship event in Emilia-Romagna’s rich calendar of sports events,” stated Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
“This year, the Grand Prix carries additional deep meanings: commemorating a beloved champion like Ayrton Senna and signaling a strong restart for the Romagna area, which was hit by flooding. Imola has added five new grandstands for this year’s race, thereby increasing capacity by 17,000 seats.”
10th Anniversary Tribute to Senna, Ratzenberger
The 10th anniversary of these deaths was commemorated during the 2004 San Marino Grand Prix weekend by Gerhard Berger, Ratzenberger’s compatriot and Senna’s former teammate, who drove one of the triple world champion’s old Lotus cars around the circuit. A memorial honoring Senna is located near the site of his accident on the circuit (photo above).
Imola Senna Ratzenberger Anniversary. Imola Senna Ratzenberger Anniversary
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